Energy label C requirement: avoid a fine

Do you own an office building that is larger than 100 m2? Then you probably need to have at least energy label C. To whom does this obligation apply? And what actions should you take to comply? Follow the five steps in this step-by-step plan and avoid a fine or closure of your office.

Starting from 2023, office buildings larger than 100 m2 will be required by law to have a class-C energy label or higher. Do you use less than fifty percent of your building as an office? Then the obligation does not apply to you. There are more exceptions. Energy label C is also not necessary for national monuments and office buildings that are to be demolished within two years. View all exceptions here.

Does your office building have to have energy label C? Follow the step-by-step plan and avoid a fine or closure. 

Step 1: Check your office building’s energy label

First, check on EP-Online (in Dutch) which energy label your office building currently has. If you have energy label A, B or C you do not have to do anything. Your building meets all requirements and guidelines. If your office has energy labels D to G, you have to get to work. You must take all energy-saving measures that you can recoup within ten years. Does your building currently not have an energy label? Consult an energy adviser. They look at how energy efficient your office is and calculate your current energy label. 

Step 2. Call in an energy adviser

Does your building have energy label D to G? Then ask an energy adviser for help. They look at your building from the inside and outside and map out all the options for sustainability. For example, the advice may be to insulate walls and floors. Or to replace your double glazing with triple glazing. The energy adviser draws up an energy report stating what it will cost to implement the advice. Based on this, decide what you want to change in your building and in what order you want to do this. The energy adviser can help you with this. 

Step 3. Subsidies and tax schemes

If you are going green, there are various subsidies and tax schemes that you can use. Investigate carefully which subsidies and schemes you can use to obtain energy label C. An energy adviser can also help you with this. Please note that you cannot combine all schemes. Information about this can be found on the subsidy pages of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO, in Dutch). The most important subsidies and schemes at a glance: 

Environmental investment allowance(MIA) and Random depreciation of environmental investments scheme (VAMIL)

With the MIA and VAMIL you invest economically in environmentally friendly assets. Thanks to the MIA you benefit from an investment deduction of up to 45 percent of your investment. With the VAMIL you write off a random percentage of your environmental investments in any given year. This means you pay less tax. 

Sustainable energy investment subsidy scheme (ISDE)

Make use of the ISDE and receive an amount of money for your investment in solar panels, a heat pump, solar boiler or wind turbine. How much you receive depends on the specific product you buy. 

Energy investment allowance (EIA)

Are you investing in a business asset that reduces CO2 emissions, is energy efficient or uses sustainable energy? Then use the EIA. You may deduct 40 percent of your investment costs from the profit of your company. This reduces the amount of profit of your company on which you pay tax. 

SME-credit scheme BMKB-Green

Do you need financing to ensure that your office building receives energy label C? The BMKB-Green scheme helps you. The government guarantees this scheme if your financier does not get back the money from the loan. As a result, the risk for your financier is lower and it is easier to get a loan.

Step 4. Take energy-saving measures

Make sure you make all necessary adjustments as soon as possible. Take into account long waiting times due to staff and material shortages. If you do not meet the energy label C obligation, you risk a fine. After several warnings, the municipality can even close down your building. 

Step 5. Apply for a new energy label

Have the energy adviser walk through your building again when you have made the adjustments. The consultant examines the implemented measures and determines the new label. Do not forget to have the energy label registered by the adviser. 

Have you taken all the energy-saving measures that you will earn back within ten years, but is your energy label still D or lower? Then you do not have to take any more action. Make sure you can demonstrate that you have made all necessary adjustments to your property.